Take Tough Action On Pranks

PRANKS HAVE a way of backfiring, and such is the case of one played by a Coral Springs High School junior who put eye drops in his teacher`s coffee.

Fortunately, the teacher suffered no ill effects. The incident came to light when a student later told the teacher what had happened.

The Broward County School Board last week took a dim view of the matter, as well it should have. While unlikely, the teacher might have become seriously ill, according to poison control center officials.

Although it rejected expulsion from school for the student because a majority of board members felt the incident was more a practical joke than an intent to do harm, the board did vote, 4-3, to ban the football-playing pupil from extracurricular activities for the rest of the year.

The student should be thankful that he got off with such light punishment.

Such ``practical jokes`` are entirely out of place both in and out of school and should be dealt with severely by authorities whenever they occur.